Chapter 4

Amelia's pov

As I arrived at the place I had always known as home, a pang of hurt filled me but I swallowed it down and paid the cab driver. 

I went up the steps of the front porch with all the hesitance in the world. But as I entered , I found them already waiting for me in the living room and a flicker of hope arose in my chest. 

“Where have you been?” My mother asked with an expression I hadn't known her to use on me before. 

“I left that place, I couldn't take it.” I said not meeting her eyes and she scoffed. 

“You couldn't take what? Everything that happened there yesterday was of your own making. You could have been a happily wedded wife but you chose to let your pride rule you and you refused to marry him.” She jabbed at me and I gasped.

I choked back tears threatening to fall. 

“How could you say this mom? How could you blame me for all this? I never would have been happy in that marriage and you know it!” 

“So you chose to call it off at our expense! Knowing full well that there was a possibility we would lose our wealth. You selfish, selfish girl!” She snarled and my father held onto her just like before. 

“Thank goodness your older sister stepped in or what would have been our fate uhn? We did everything to make you happy, everything to keep you satisfied and the one thing we asked of you, you couldn't do.” My father said gravely and it hurt even more than her words. 

I couldn't speak, it all felt too unreal. Were these my parents? 

“We will be ceasing your credit cards for now and we will decide whether or not you will continue to reside with us.” My father continued in that grave tone and I stepped back again, shaken. 

“We wanted to do more but Luke begged on your behalf and even promised to help us more than before, so do you see the tremendous mistake you have made? The very man you rejected is the one pleading on your behalf, a shame isn't it.” She tsked at me and hot fury filled my veins. 

That manipulative bastard! 

I wiped my tears roughly and turned on my heels, clearly, I wasn't wanted here and no way was I going to stay where I wasn't wanted.  

They yelled, asking where I was going as though they cared but they didn't even move from their spot. They didn't even try to go after me. I got into my car and drove, I watched as the house grew smaller and smaller in my rear view mirror and sighed. 

Knowing that place was no longer my home, I contemplated going back to the hotel and to that beautiful stranger but that didn't sound right. Instead, I drove down to a place Luke and I used to go, a place where thousands of memories were made.

 It was a river, one we had discovered on one of our numerous drives around town. I stopped the engine and stepped out threading barefoot on the rocky ground. 

I went to the river bank which was hidden behind some bushes and sat down, since it was early in the morning, it was peaceful. 

The birds were chirping and the water was still, the sun was just rising above the clouds, casting shadows and warming things up in its wake. But it couldn't warm up my cold, shrivelled heart, it felt like someone had dipped their hands into my chest and ripped out my heart. 

I picked up a smooth stone and it skittered on the water before sinking. I got up, swayed on my feet and carried a huge rock throwing it into the river and it made a huge splash. I was livid, I was angry but beyond it all I was broken. A gut wrenching scream clawed its way out of my chest. 

“I hate you Luke! I hate you, I hate you!!” I yelled into the morning air so loud that the birds flew off, squawking in fear. Then I deflated, and violent sobs racked my body. My life was over. I had nothing left. 

Absolutely nothing, nothing to go back to. 

I walked slowly towards the river and stared at my reflection, a girl I didn't know stared back at me. My formerly flat ironed hair was now messy and wild, my skin looked even paler and my dress was wrinkled, the hem submerged in water, I looked the definition of broken. 

There was only one way to end this misery. 

I continued to walk deeper into the river, no one would miss me anyway, I thought as the water crept up my knees. But someone called out to me before I could jump. 

“Ma'am, please get out of the water.” A man said from behind me and I half turned to find three men in black standing at the riverbank, I then realised how far I had gotten.

 I ignored him and glanced back at the river, trying to remember why I wanted to end it all in the first place. 

I could hear them begin to panic behind me but I didn't care. One placed a call and walked off, probably trying to call the authorities and another kept trying to persuade me to come out of the water and go with them but my mind was made up, my mind was set. 

This was my fate now and I couldn't accept it, I had to end it before I completely lost my mind. I turned back to the river fully and readied myself to jump right in.

 But another man suddenly arrived and yelled at me not to. I recognised that voice, it was the stranger from the after party. It didn’t matter to me still, not even his beauty was enough. 

I jumped right in and let the water engulf me and drown away my sorrows with it.